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Besides these, several other companies have been identified for their manufacturing excellence, but have not been included in the above table for want of specific data. Some examples of such companies are: -

1. Marico Industries Ltd.
2. Delphi-TVS Diesel Systems Ltd.
3. Wipro Ltd. (Computer Factory)
4. Larsen & Toubro Ltd.
5. Moser Baer India Ltd.
6. Brakes India
7. Grasim Industries (Birla Cellousic, Kharach Unit)

The Road Ahead

Going forward, we can envision both challenges as well as progress for Indian manufacturing as far as successful adoption of lean practices is concerned. We discuss both of these below.

Challenges in Adoption of Lean Production

In adopting lean production, and in moving to refine it further and further in a process of continuous improvement, Indian firms can expect to encounter the following changes: -

i. Matching world-class quality standards:
Indian auto component manufacturers, who have successfully gone through the first phase of the framework for lean implementation outlined in Figure 1 (reducing obvious waste), have still not achieved world-class quality standards. This is despite the fact that most of these have received international quality certifications. Thus, continuous improvement needs to happen in this area.

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* Contributed by -
Vaishnav Tadatmya Ashok,
IIM, Lucknow.